Thursday, January 22, 2009

PVCHR regret to inform you that, inauguration ceremony of the community center (Sushil Tripathi School and community center) is preponed due to unavoidable reason and now it decided to held on 16th February, 09.

The inauguration of the community center and release of the Manual "Giving Voice" in Hindi will be jointly done by Mr. Mr. Satyajeet Thakur I.A.S of Mirzapur division Prof. Deepak Malik, Banaras Hindu University,and Ms. Helma Ritsher Chairwomen Indo – German Society Remscheid, Germany at 10:30 at Raup village in Sonbhadra District, Uttar Pradesh.

Following the inaugural session Prof. Deepak Malik and Ms. Helma Ritsher will chair the delivery (honor) ceremony of eight survivors of Sonebhadra district. These survivors gave their testimony on violation of human rights i.e. self suffering of a survivor of police torture organized with the joint endeavor of People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), Varanasi and Rehabilitation and Research Center for Torture Victim (RCT), Denmark, and also inauguration of Hindi version of Manual "Giving Voice" Using Testimony as a Brief Therapy Intervention in Psychosocial Community Work for Survivors of Torture and Organised Violence in India developed by Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi and Ms. Inger Agger.

Ghasia ghetto of Raup village is icon against the police torture and its consequences. After the police torture 18 children of Ghasia tribe died due to hunger and malnutrition situations. PVCHR and community started fight back against it. Due to intervention of National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi and Supreme Court commissioner on Right to food a lot of changes took place. Now a days there is no hunger and malnutrition death. So, please do come to participate and celebrate the paradigm shift. If you are unable to come, please light a candle on that day and write a letter to Government of Uttar Pradesh for opening Primary school with mid day meal scheme in above mention building and write an appeal to Government of India for the ratification of UNCAT.

Monday, January 12, 2009

INDIAUttar Pradesh, depression and suicide among silk weavers because of economic crisisUnemployment, malnutrition, and extensive debt have driven 47 workers to take their lives between 2003 and 2007. Human rights activists warn: the nationalist faction and the Hindu fundamentalist wing could exploit the unrest in view of the elections, to "foment ethnic conflict."

New Delhi (AsiaNews) - The crisis in the textile sector in the sacred city of Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh - a state in northern India - is at the origin of numerous cases of suicide among workers, and could heighten the tension between the Muslim community (about 40%) and the Hindu majority. The alarm has been raised by Lenin Raghuvanshi, director of the People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) in Varanasi, who denounces the general situation of growing poverty and malnutrition among the workers.

In view of the election for the renewal of the Lok Sabha, the lower chamber of the Indian parliament, scheduled to take place between May and June 2009, Raghuvanshi calls upon the political world to take into serious consideration the crisis in the textile sector, the second leading source of jobs after agriculture. He recalls how for 15 years, the local textile industry has gone through a "general decline." The decision to revive the industry on an "ethnic basis" has contributed to fostering the crisis, unleashing problems of an interconfessional character. A spiral of violence began with the demolition of the Babri Masjid mosque in Ayodhya at the hands of Hindu fundamentalists in 1992, which unleashed one of the worst waves of violence between religious communities that India has ever seen.

Lenin Raghuvanshi, a well-known activist and winner of the prestigious Gwangju prize for human rights, stresses that the time has come to "construct an entrepreneurial production model, based on the Western model," to replace the "division of labor on ethnic lines" used until now. He specifies that it is the duty of the PVCHR to protect the minorities in view of the upcoming elections, and to prevent the nationalist fringes - headed by the Bharatiya Janata Party - and the fundamentalist faction, represented by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal, from "marginalizing these disadvantaged components of Indian society even more."

The history of the silk industry in India is traditionally linked to the Muslim community, which for almost 800 years was in charge of production. Until 1960, the weavers were mainly Muslim, while trade was in the hands of the Hindu Marwaris. Beginning in the 1960's, some of the textile workers began selling products themselves, taking over a larger and larger segment of the market. Competition between Muslims and Hindus in selling textile products led to tension between the two communities, joining other problems of an economic, social, and religious nature. There is also the fierce competition from China. Because of the crisis, many have lost their jobs, trying to find low skill jobs as rickshaw drivers, domestic workers, fruit washers or vendors.

"In recent years," the activist continues, "cases of suicide have become a sad reality among weavers. The lack of raw materials, competition from low-cost Chinese products, the lack of new orders, the economic crisis connected to the decline of industry in the sector have unleashed a decline that is at the basis of depression and suicide." According to a recent study, there were 47 cases between 2003 and 2007, because of hunger and malnutrition. Another 30% are connected to poverty and the economic crisis. Finally, there are cases of illness, and the impossibility of paying off debts contracted in the past.

Lenin Raghuvanshi warns of the risks connected to the collapse of the silk industry, which could lead to unemployment on a vast scale. The fundamentalists could exploit the unrest to create an electoral basis among the poor and lower classes, in order to heighten social tension and ethnic-religious conflict. "The international community must be sensitized," the activist concludes, "in view of the elections, and the problem of domestic terrorism must be resolved, which sets down roots in poverty and is the cause of social revolt."

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Varanasi Report on the World Day EventPVCHR organized a protest against death penalty on 10th October, at Azad Park, Lahurabir, Varanasi, to mark the World Day Against Penalty in solidarity with Amnesty International India. PVCHR and other organizations protested against death penalty by lighting candles, holding out banners and posters. Along with the members and core group members of PVCHR the members of Bunker Dastakar Adhikar Manch (A Forum for Weavers and Artisan), Voice of People (VOP) from Chunar and Janghai, People’s Watch, Citizen Front, Sagar Society Jounpur, Dawa Manch, Bhagat Singh Youth Brigade and the journalist of some news paper, took part in the protest against death penalty and expressed their opinion.

On this occasion the Convener of PVCHR Dr. Lenin said that any person can be falsely implicated in a case as a consequence given death penalty. He also added that the death penalty is often given to a person who cannot defend his case properly due to poverty not being able to afford a lawyer. Lawyers provided by the state do not defend due to lack of interest.

After declaration of death punishment, the family members and relatives of the victim become isolated from society. They acquire stigma for rest of their lives and may be even boycotted by the society. Once the death punishment is declared, the rest of the life of the accused becomes full of fear and he dies every moment thereafter.

The details of the protest protest at Azad Park, Lahurabir, Varanasi on 10th October 2008 along with the mercy petition to the President of India against the death penalty of Suresh Chouhan and his wife’s brother Ramji Chauhan of Varanasi can be seen on http://www.mynews.in/fullstory.aspx?storyid=11461

Date: 29 Jun 2002 23:08:56 -0000Subject: This is our MERCY PETITION to the President of India to save the lives of two Men convicted of Death Sentence. Please appeal to the President of India (pressecy@alpha.nic.in) and also ask your friends & colleagues to do so.

Mr. Suresh Chauhan and his wife’s brother , Ramji Chauhan have been accused of murdering his(Suresh) own brother Mr. Ramesh Chauhan (Younger brother of Suresh) and four members of Ramesh‘s family (Wife and three children ) over a dispute over property belonging to their father Late Mr.Panalal. The Accused Mr. Suresh however says that his conviction was based on the false evidence of witness (PW1) Mr. Lalji (paternal uncle of the accused Suresh) who had repented later and told the family members of Accused Ramji that he (Lalji) would reveal the truth at appeal hearing in the Allahabad High Court .However four days before the appeal hearing, he was mysteriously burnt to death in his own room. His body was quickly cremated without any police report or post mortem. Both the Accused insist that they were taken from their homes and not arrested near Railway station. The weapons claimed by the police to have been recovered from the house of Suresh did not match the wounds of the murdered victims described in the Medico legal report. Besides this the manner of recovery claimed by the police was rejected by the High Court. There are also discrepancies in the FIR, the Inquest report etc.

The only person benefiting from the whole incident is Ram Naresh who is the elder brother of Accused Suresh and Deceased Ramesh. In Childhood Ram Naresh had been adopted by paternal uncle, Lalji (PW1) who was issueless. Prior to his death, the father, Late Panalal divided his property only between accused Suresh and the deceased Ramesh. He did not include the elder son Ram Naresh (adopted by Lalji ) since he is the sole inheritor of his adopted father, Lalji ‘s property. However after the death of the father, Mr.Panalal, the elder brother Ram Naresh demanded share from his two brothers (accused Suresh and deceased Ramesh) which they refused unless Ram Naresh agreed to share with them the property of his adopted father, Mr.Lalji(PW1). Now with Suresh convicted to death sentence , Ramesh dead , and adopted father Mr.Lalji (PW1) mysteriously burnt to death , Ram Naresh is the sole claimant/owner of the property of late Mr.Lalji and Late Panalal.

The police cannot be trusted as it is widely known and documented that they can be bought and the discrepancies in the FIR & INQUEST point to a possibility of a cover-up and miscarriage of justice.

Of the accused Mr. Suresh Chauhan is the father of 7 children, the youngest being 5 years old with two daughters of marriageable age. He is the bread winner for his family. The future of the children is at stake. There is no one to look after them, and if the allegation of the accused is true than they face possible harassment from their uncle, Mr. Ram Naresh. Similarly Mr. Ramji Chauhan is from a very poor family, selling balloons. In the process of fighting the case they have sold their belongings, are living in rented homes and struggling to make ends meet. Ramji Chauhan’s wife face premature widowhood at such a prime age. The whole family has been brought to the brink of ruin.

Using Testimony as a Brief Therapy Intervention inPsychosocial Community Workfor Survivors of Torture and Organised ViolenceMANUAL for Community Workers and Human Rights Defenders of Uttar Pradesh, India